China Chemical Plant Explosion Took Away 22 Lives

A huge explosion has taken place outside a chemical plant in China's northern Hebei province on Wednesday. It took way the lives of 22 people and left many others injured. This is recorded as the second major industrial accident in the country in the last four days.

According to the sources, the incident has occurred outside the Hebei Shenghua Chemical Industry in Zhangjiakou, Qiaodong district around 12:40 am and the ignition of fire burnt nearby vehicles.

An industrial safety official said that one of the trucks which are outside the plant to deliver chemicals had exploded by setting off a chain reaction that engulfed other trucks.

Chinese news reports and images from the scene says that a fiery explosion near the plant had set around 50 vehicles on fire, including many trucks.

Authorities confirmed that the fire has been contained now, and a search operation is underway. The injured have been taken to a nearby hospital.

Employees at the Shenghua plant said that the operation has been suspended out of safety concern.

Industrial safety is definitely a major concern in China, where requirements for the storage and transport of chemicals and other dangerous products are often weakly enforced.

Earlier, on November 24, 2 people were killed and 57 injured in a warehouse explosion in northeast China's Jilin Province.